CURRENT AFFAIRS | 16 APRIL 2026
ECONOMY | MINING LAW | CRITICAL MINERALS
Seven Indian companies are in the race to secure cobalt, copper and lithium offtake from the Katanga-Lualaba copper-cobalt belt in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as India builds supply-chain resilience for its EV and battery manufacturing push. The DRC alone produces nearly 70% of the world’s cobalt, but Chinese firms dominate downstream processing — a vulnerability the Indian state-owned KABIL (Khanij Bidesh India Ltd) and the National Critical Mineral Mission 2025 are designed to address.
Constitutional & Legal Framework
Seventh Schedule: Mines and mineral development is covered by Entry 54, List I (Union List) — Parliament has overriding power in public interest. Entry 23 of List II subjects state regulation to Union legislation.
MMDR Act, 1957 (amended 2023): The 2023 amendment delisted 6 of 12 “atomic minerals” (including lithium and beryllium), enabling auction-based private-sector exploration of critical minerals. Parliament alone can allocate auctions for 24 critical minerals.
KABIL: Joint venture of NALCO, Hindustan Copper and MECL (2019) to identify, acquire and process overseas strategic minerals. Signed lithium MoU with Argentina’s CAMYEN (January 2024) and is the lead Indian entity in the DRC negotiations.
CLAT Angle — Why This Matters
Critical minerals sit at the intersection of Economy, Environment and International Relations — three pillars of CLAT GK. Expect questions on the MMDR Amendment 2023, KABIL’s structure, India’s 2023 critical minerals list, and the Union-List supremacy of mining regulation.
Link this with the PLI Advanced Chemistry Cell scheme (50 GWh battery target), FAME-II, and India’s Net-Zero 2070 commitment — all of which depend on secure feedstock supply.
Key Facts at a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| DRC cobalt share | ~70% of global mined output |
| KABIL full form | Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (2019) |
| India critical minerals list | 30 minerals notified June 2023 |
| NCMM 2025 | National Critical Mineral Mission, Ministry of Mines |
| Key minerals on the list | Lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, REE, tantalum, tellurium, beryllium |
| PLI-ACC target | 50 GWh of advanced chemistry cell manufacturing |
Mnemonic — KATANGA
KABIL leading acquisition · Africa’s cobalt belt · Transition minerals · Auction regime (MMDR 2023) · NCMM 2025 · Geopolitical race · Advanced Chemistry Cell scheme.
Test Yourself — 10 Questions
From MMDR Act provisions to KABIL’s mandate — revise the entire critical minerals ecosystem.
Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
Click an option to reveal the answer and explanation.
